Revolving case for clinic thermometers for zero setting the scale thereof



P. CATELL! 3,495,697

REVOLVING CASE FOR CLINIC THERMOMETERS FOR ZERO SETTING THE SCALE THEREOF Filed Aug. 12, 1968 United States Patent 01 fice 3,495,697 REVOLVING CASE FOR CLINIC THERMOMETERS FOR ZERO SETTING THE SCALE THEREOF Piero Catelli, Como, Italy Dr. Ing. Misitano A.G., Via Padova 217, 20127 Milan, Italy) Filed Aug. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 751,937 Int. Cl. B65d 85/20, 85/30, 85/38 US. Cl. 20616.5 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There are known a number of embodiments for lowering the mercury column of clinic thermometers, of maximum type, a number of these devices operating by centrifugal force.

The known embodiments present some drawbacks consisting of a mediocre practicality, or in the possibility of injuring the thermometer and lastly in a cost relatively high.

An object of my invention is to provide a case for clinic thermometers obviating the above drawbacks of prior art and particularly obviating the necessity of imparting the thermometer dangerous shakes and painful whipping for operator.

A further object of my invention is to provide a case for clinic thermometers preventing the latter from falling and therefore breaking when the case housing the thermometer is inclined or upset.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention there is provided a case for clinic thermometers characterized in that it consists of a first long cylindrical component and of a second relatively short cylindrical component operating as cap, the first component presenting a shoulder stopping the cap, and a deformable cup-shaped enclosure frictionally accommodated upon the bottom of the first component and presenting a dead hole accommodating the bulb of the clinic thermometer, a third component presenting at least one arm formed at one end with a dead hole, and secured to the opposite and to the first component, an handgrip consisting of a stem formed with at least one annular recess, the diameter of such recess being substantially equal to the diameter of the said hole formed from the end of the said arm and freely accommodating the same, the arrangement being such that a rapid rotation impressed to the case through the said third component and stem causes by centrifugal action the mercury column to be lowered. In order to secure an accommodation of the branch hole into the said annular recess, an end of the stem is formed with a conical section.

Various features and advantages will become apparent from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

3,495,697 Patented Feb. 17, 1970 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The FIGURE 1 is a partial sectional elevational view of case according to my invention.

The FIGURE 2 is side elevation view as seen from the arrow A of FIG. 1.

The FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the bottom case so as to show the deformable enclosure frictionally accommodating the thermometer bulb.

With reference to the said FIGURE 1 the case generally referenced 10 consists of two components, one 11, relatively long and housing a clinic thermometer of maximum type and another (12) relatively short and operating as cap therefor. The material of the case is preferably of a plastic resin such as polystyrene. Adjacently to the upper opening the first component 11 is formed with a shoulder 13 serving as stop for the cap and as stop for a fork shaped third component 14.

The two branches 15-16 of the fork present a hole 15'- 16 cut from an expanded end portion thereof. The operating member consists of a handgrip 17 presenting adjacently to an end two annular recesses 1.8-19, the diameter of which is substantially the same as the branch holes 15'-16', and spaced by one another substantially as the transversal size of the case. One end 20 of the stem adjacent to the annular recess 18 is cone shaped.

Within the bottom of the case component is frictionally accommodated a flanged enclosure 21 made of deformable material formed with a dead hole 22 by turn frictionally accommodating the bulb of the clinic thermometer (not shown) and therefore firmly keeping in place the same.

OPERATION The stem is evidently mounted by passing the cone shaped end 20 through the two holes 15-16 so as the first hole 15' is accommodated in the recess 18 and the second hole 16' in the recess 19'. The bulb of the thermometer is frictionally engaged by the deformable cup shaped extension 23 of enclosure 21. Now, if a rapid rotation movement is imparted to the case through the handgrip operating as a crank, now a rapid lowering of the mercury into the bulb is caused and preceding reading is cancelled.

This invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completely satisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects; and while I have shown a preferred embodiment thereof, I wish it to be specifically understood that the same may be modified without departure from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

By example the fork shaped component may be integral with the body of the first component case. Moreover only one arm for the fork is strictly necessary for getting the necessary centrifugal force, this being suggested if the fork is made of relatively rigid material in lieu of flexible material as in the shown embodiment.

What I claim is:

1. A case for clinic thermometers consisting of a first long cylindrical component and of a second relatively short cylindrical component operating as cap, the first component presenting a shoulder adjacently to its open end and stopping the said cap, a third component formed by a handgrip consisting of a stem formed with two annular recesses spaced from one another, two elastic arms formed each at one end with a hole and branching from a collar frictionally engaging the said first component and stopped by the said shoulder, the diameter of said recesses being substantially equal to the diameter of the said hole formed from the end of each of the 3 4 said arms and freely accommodating the hole after a References Cited radial expansion thereof, the arrangement being such v that a rapid rotation impressed to the case through the UNXTED STATES PATENTS said third component and the handgrip causes by centrif- 2 9 4 5 /1953 Papermaster 2O6 16.5

ugal action the mercury column to be lowered. 2 955 4 0 19 0 Hein 1 2. A case according to the claim 1, wherein the stem is formed with a cone shap d end. JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner 

